Monday, April 18, 2011

Doing Club Outdoors: Part 1, Helpful Details

It's spring time and your high school friends would probably love a change in scenery. You might have already considered doing club outside next week, but don't forget to think through a few details.LocationIf you are changing the typical club location, make sure kids know where to go. In addition to handing out flyers with maps at the school, its helpful to put a link to the Google Map location on your facebook event page.

Rain PlanWhat if its too wet, cold, or windy? Local restaurants or Yogurt Bars are good backup plans, but make sure you call ahead. They might even give you a discount if you bring in a crowd. If you've planned some field games, possibly a local church gym would work for a rainy backup.

PowerDo you need power for a sound system? Do you need extension chords? A generator? Sound doesn't travel as far outdoors, and music makes it feel more like a party, so I'd highly recommend lugging a sound system out there. If you use a generator, make sure you have enough gas.

NoiseStatistics show that 64% of all YL clubs have the cops called on them at least once during a school year. (Statistics also show that 82% of all stats are made up on the spot.) If you would like to avoid a run-in with the law, be wise in where you set up for your outdoor club. If you're in a backyard, its a good idea to ask permission from the neighbors ahead of time. A good rule of thumb is to not use the sound system outside after 8:30pm.

Yard GamesInvite your high school friends to show up early for club. Its a great chance to hang out and enjoy the weather. By providing a few basic yard games, it immediately feels like a party. I'll post my top 5 pre-club yard games tomorrow.